Temple’s key: Don’t look back

Nothing would be easier after Temple’s 45-29 win over visiting Utah State on Saturday to look back and wonder what might have been.

No use crying over spilled milk. Saturday’s win represented a cleanup in aisle four. Those first three bottles of milk aren’t for sale anymore.

Let’s go over the easy part first.

It would be easy to dwell on what would have happened if Evan Simon quarterbacked the Owls from the jump instead of Forrest Brock.

Here’s what we know about the two of them.

One turns the ball over.

The other doesn’t.

On top of that, one had a five-touchdown passing game and that was only hours ago. The other has never had one, including high school.

That was the easy part.

Here’s the hard part.

Even with Evan as the starting quarterback in those first three games, the Temple Owls are probably in the same place as they are now.

One win, three losses, with almost the entire AAC schedule ahead. Without Brock’s three turnovers at Oklahoma, maybe the Owls lose that game 21-3 or, at best, 21-10. Without Brock’s two more turnovers at Navy, the Owls probably lose that game, 24-11, instead of 38-11.

That’s why it makes no sense to look back, only ahead. There are at least five more winnable games left on the schedule. Army (Thursday, 7:30 p.m., ESPN) does not appear to be one of them but the Owls will be playing with house money in five days.

All the pressure will be on unbeaten Army and nothing will be expected of Temple. Sometimes, good things happen under those circumstances and maybe Temple can see what it did wrong against Navy in the triple option and correct those defensive shifts against Army.

Either way, there are way more winnable games left than Army and that’s where the Owls can build of the performance against a good but not great Utah State team.

Maddox Trujillo hit a 64-yard field goal–the longest in the 21-year history of Lincoln Financial Field and in Temple history–and that got the halftime locker room juiced.

After that, Temple outscored Utah State, 28-8. That’s even a more dominating stretch than Utah could have against their in-state rivals a week ago.

That’s something to build on as is Simon’s five touchdown passes. P.J. Walker was the last Temple quarterback who had five touchdown passes in a single game and he went on to become XFL MVP and started several NFL games.

Temple has plenty of room to improve. On passing downs, it needs to blitz more with linebacker D.J. Woodbury but that’s another story for another time.

Temple has plenty of offensive firepower, including an accomplished Big 10 running back (Antwain Littleton), the best running back in all of JUCO football last year (Torrez Worthy) and the best high school running back in Florida two years ago (Joquez Smith, Tampa Jesuit). They have a stacked tight end room as three TEs caught touchdown passes Saturday. Their best TE from last year, Reese Clark, returns from an injury soon. They have a great receiver in Dante Wright and a very good one in Antonio Jones. Last year’s leading receiver, Zae Baines, makes his first appearance on Thursday night.

Simon seems like the right kind of gunpower for those weapons.

Looking back won’t do them any good. Looking ahead could unlock a season not a single person saw coming seven days ago.

Monday: How A is Unlike B

Thursday: Army Preview

Friday: Army Analysis

3 thoughts on “Temple’s key: Don’t look back

  1. All praises due, great win. QB played a clean game, the O got a rushing TD, and the D got a turnover. How about that 64 yarder, wow!

  2. And you didn’t even mention Simon’s running – got several 1st downs and looked good doing it. First half D gave up way too much but clamped down in the 2nd half. Hope Withers (or Drayton) comes up with something to slow Army’s option down. If we can milk the clock like yesterday, maybe, just maybe a win Thursday night. Simon is the leader of this team and is playing cool and calm. Go Owls!

  3. I was frustrated as usual at the game’s beginning, but ended up with a smile on my face. Coach finally started the best QB on the roster. Evan Simon looked like the real deal in Saturday’s game against Utah State. So, go Owls! Beat Army! Yeah, tough call, but we hold out hope. !

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